title: Polycarbonate microspheres containing mitomycin C and magnetic powders as potential hepatic carcinoma therapeutics.
abstract: The polycarbonate copolymer poly(trimethylene carbonate-co-5,5-dimethyl trimethylene carbonate) (P(TMC-co-DTC)) was synthesized by the polymerization of trimethylene carbonate (TMC) and 5,5-dimethyl trimethylene carbonate (DTC) using tin (II) 2-ethylhexanoate [Sn(Oct)(2)] as a catalyst. In vitro degradation tests indicated this polycarbonate copolymer degraded slowly in phosphate buffer saline solution (PBS, 0.1 mol/L, at 37°C). Magnetic polymer microspheres (MMC-PC-M) generated from the P(TMC-co-DTC) copolymer and containing Fe(3)O(4) magnetic ultrafine powders and an anticancer drug, mitomycin C (MMC) were prepared by a solvent evaporation technique. These anticancer magnetic polycarbonate microspheres showed strong magnetic responsiveness and high MMC loading capacity. In vitro drug release studies indicated that these microspheres sustained steady release rates of MMC in PBS. In vitro cytotoxicity assays demonstrated the microspheres were strongly inhibitory to human hepatic carcinoma (Bel-7204) cells. In vivo site-specific therapy in nude mice with human hepatic carcinoma indicated that the microspheres possessed markedly high antitumor activity against human hepatic carcinoma (Bel-7204).
authors.affiliation: School of Material Science and Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430074, China. bhu@cox.net
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Yuan-Yuan
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.forename: Guo-Ping
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Ren-Xi
authors.initials: RX
authors.lastname: Zhuo
authors.forename: Steven E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Bottle
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Chang-Lie
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Ya-Jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Duan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D008280:Magnetics; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008863:Microspheres; D016685:Mitomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011076:Polycarboxylate Cement / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011076:Polycarboxylate Cement; C005506:polycarbonate; D016685:Mitomycin